BIBD Aspirasi is an awesome product introduced by BIBD (Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam). Launched last weekend during the AMBD National Savings Day Roadshow, it created a great hype and their limited BIBD Digital Coin Boxes have ran out of stock as they are only exclusive for BIBD Aspirasi customers.

So what’s so special about BIBD Aspirasi?

1) You can earn a lucky draw coupon for every BND 50 you deposit into BIBD Aspirasi. The more you invest, the better your chances.
2) The lucky draw prizes are awesome!! Monthly prize is BND 2,500, quarterly prize is BND 25,000 and the grand prize is BND 250,000. AWESOME!!!
3) You can earn 0.2% per annum if I’m not mistaken
4) You have better returns than the normal savings deposit
5) It has a flexible savings scheme allowing you to participate and withdraw anytime and no withdrawal fee imposed
6) You can open the Aspirasi account through your BIBD app and online. So easy!!! I got mine done on BIBD App.

All these are good enough to make me open an BIBA Aspirasi account and I was one of the early subscribers and I’m happy to get a Digital Coin Box of my own 😀

In a nutshell, BIBD accountholders can start their ‘BIBD Aspirasi’ journey to financial freedom by subscribing to an initial ‘BIBD Aspirasi’ e-certificate for as low as BND500 with a one-time subscription fee of BND5.

So what are you waiting for? I have signed up and hundred others. Do join the bandwagon and this is also great initiative to start saving.

As for the grand prize, the BIBD Aspirasi subscribers will have a cut of date on 31st August 2019 and the grand draw will be announced maybe in September 2019 or later.

Let’s start saving and it’s never too late 😀 Thank you, BIBD, for this awesome savings product. For more information, you can click here to read more.

Group photo with AMBD and BIBD management during the launch of BIBD Aspirasi

Brunei Young Leaders Convention 2018, organized by AlHuffaz Management and Generasi Bekarih, led by member of Legislative Council, Yang Berhormat Awang Iswandy bin Ahmad has started yesterday, 7 August at Goldstone Ballroom, Centrepoint Hotel, Gadong. Present as the guest of honour for the launching ceremony and presentation of appreciation certificates for the supporters and sponsors were the Minister of Prime Minister’s Office, Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Abdul Mokti bin Haji Mohammad Daud.

He mentioned in his speech that in order to shape the future of the country, youth should grab any opportunities, explore and always look for any opportunities that were offered. Youth were encouraged to take a deeper understanding of ‘Belia Aset Negara’ because youth are the valuable future assets which would determine the strength and leadership of the future generation as well as the country.

The ceremony proceeded with a keynote on Wawasan Brunei 2035 which was then delivered by Administrative Officer Special Grade of Sekretariat Tetap Wawasan Brunei 2035, Yang Mulia Muhammad Aziman bin Haji Awang Nasir.

Youth snapshot was then conducted by Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports. In the afternoon, the convention continued with a session titled “Be The Change”, held by Centre for Strategic and Policy Studies (CSPS). The first day ended with a networking session for the mentors and all participants.

A total of 200 participants, aged between 18 to 40 years old are taking part in the convention which will continue for three days until 9 August 2018.

Brunei Young Leaders Convention 2018 is held for the first time and it aims to deliver accurate and updated information regarding Wawasan Brunei 2035, to unite relevant youth development agencies as well as to provide platform for youth to carry out projects or programs that might support and achieve Wawasan Brunei 2035.

In addition to attending forums, participants also have the opportunity to interact and build network with the mentors which comprised of experienced youth regarding their future plans prior to attending the convention.

For more information and updates regarding the convention, visit www.bylconvention.com or follow the BYLC 2018’s official social media accounts on Instagram/Twitter (@bylconvention) and Facebook (Brunei Young Leaders Convention 2018). Some of the images courtesy of their event Facebook page.

Dr. Sophiana Chua of CSPS sharing on adaptive and radical changes that can have an impact on your life and your future

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? A vision/a goal that many of us choose to ignore.

One of the exercises conducted by Hanis Osman, CEO of Generasi Bekarih

Another form of networking (literally)

There were around 200 participants who signed up for the convention. Amazing start!!

70 final year students are exhibiting their innovative art and design capstone projects and this will be part of their final assessments which will be evaluated by Dr. Martie Geiger-Ho, Senior Lecturer, Arts & Creative Technology, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, UBD and Hj Osman bin Hj Mohammad, Adjunct Lecturer, Arts & Creative Technology, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, UBD.

Spectacle 2018 gives the final year students the chance to showcase their artworks and installation and of course, their talents which are translated to the end product. Of course, the public are more than welcome to pay a visit and witness what our locals are able to produce in terms of their efforts and creativity, in hopes to elevate Brunei’s creative industries.

Most of the students I interviewed shared that their ideas of their installations are inspired from their personal experiences. One artist, Fikri Yunus, shared his personal story one how he was a shy person in nature and not being able to be expressive or showing signs of confidence. For his project, he created a cocoon installation, depicting a human being coming out of the cocoon. Yes, the person in the cocoon is Fikri himself where he has morphed into a more confident person and feeling more secured around people. One of the interesting installation to look at when you do visit the Spectacle 2018.

I also noticed more paper artwork being used in artwork displays. Check out the installations such as “Harmonized Disparity” by Nurbazilah binti Bahari, “Brief Insight of Women in Brunei” by Nursheila binti Idnin and “Quillosophy” by Ikmal Atifah binti Awang Mohamad. I really appreciate their efforts on presenting their artworks through paper cuts.

I was just impressed with the ideas that the students have presented in their final assessments. I could just carry on and talked more on it but it would defeat the purpose as I want to encourage you to pay a visit to Spectacle 2018. Furthermore, the entry is FREE for the public. You will be impressed with the talents we have.

Some of the installations being showcased

Installation by Ak Mahmud Ruzaini bin Pg Mohamad who used metal wires for sculpturing purposes. He was expressing the inner struggles within and it can be visible in a skinless form.

An illustration installation by Ikmal Atifah binti Hj Awang Mohamad who used folded coloured papers in creating a portrait of her. This workmanship requires a lot of energy and you have to be meticulous in executing this installation to perfection. Good job!!

Installation called “Heartstrings” by Ajeerah Firdausul Bolqiah. An interesting depiction of her life journey and her emotions are expressed by the chords and frets of a guitar illustrations. The different coloured hearts represent different situations that are either positive or negative.

A papercut illustration which is not quite common in the previous Spectacle but it’s making a presence in this year’s edition. Created by Nurshiela binti Idnin, she carved out three iconic personalities of Brunei through means of papercut. Awesome!!! Who knows one day you will get commissioned for your new known talent. Oh yea, she only started to love paper cutting during her Discovery Year in Bandung, Indonesia.

Last year I saw an illustration using lights and shadow. This year I saw a different perspective on how it can be used to express emotions. Nur Ezzati binti Morni with her project “Metanoia”, utilized wires and lights to create a shadow effect on people’s expression. With the power of the switch, these expressions can quickly change in an instant. Very creative indeed.

Also to share you some information that all the students had limited resources from UBD and hence, they are required to source their own materials in order to complete their end product. The students did fork out money to spend on the materials required to complete their artwork. Some of the displays required a lot of fabrication and that is never a cheap job. So you can see how dedicated the students are in investing their projects and made them possible for display at Spectacle 2018.

Haji Ahmad Najib Haji Ali Hassan, the Director of Spectacle 2018 Committee, was more than relieved after the successful launch of the event earlier this morning. The venue was only handed over in March and they were running against the time. He shared how they were meeting deadlines and completion of the decoration at the Art Gallery, Chancellor Hall. Finally, the whole team made it the event possible today which will continue until 14th May 2018.

Prior to this, the committee also organised fund raising events to help fund the Spectacle 2018 such as hosting the Spectacle Eminent Art Bazaar (February 2018) and Painting workshops (December 2017) to name a few. I kinda like how they have a good branding in promoting their event on social media. So keep it up 😀

Do follow them on @spectacle2018 on Instagram and also pay them a visit at the Gallery Art, Chancellor Hall, UBD. If you’re lucky enough, you might catch the artists there and learn more about their artworks and installations.

If you are thinking of reflection, as in reflecting on yourself, do try this mixed media installation called “Peculiar Reflection” by Dk Siti Syuhaidah binti Pg Baharuddin. When was the last time you look yourself in the mirror and appreciate yourself?

She must be one lucky lady. I wanna have what she has. Nur Lia Anira binti Johar created a 3D animation video called “Lucid Dreaming”. Apparently, she experiences lucid dreams on a yearly basis, meaning that you are conscious while dreaming. I only experienced it twice in my life and it was such an awesome feeling.

The guest of honour paying a visit to Nur Raidah’s installation, “Embossed: New Bruneian Floral”.

This is a mixed media installation by Haji Ahmad Najib who spoke of cerebral palsy among children and the message is to spread the awareness especially for parents and the public that through the right education, children with cerebral palsy can make strides towards a healthier and happier life.

Nurhanisah binti Hj Sabli shared about how that we lose the cultural identity of our country. She depicts using our traditional textile, kain tenunan, to create more awareness on our cultural identity. Hope is not lost indeed.

His Excellency, Mr. Motohiko Kato, Ambassador of Japan to Brunei Darussalam (3rd from left) and Mr. Masafumi, Senior Project Manager, Film and Broadcast Media of Japan Foundation (2nd from left) and Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Putera Maharaja Dato Paduka Haji Abdul Ghani binPehin Datu Pekerma Dewa Dato Paduka Haji Abdul Rahim, a Legislative council member (4th from left) during the official launch of the Japanese Film Festival 2018

His Excellency, Mr. Motohiko Kato, Ambassador of Japan to Brunei Darussalam giving his welcoming remarks to the audience

The Japanese Film Festival 2018 kicked off in Brunei Darussalam last night at The Arena Cineplex, Kiulap. Attending the opening ceremony were His Excellency, Mr. Motohiko Kato, Ambassador of Japan to Brunei Darussalam and Mr. Masafumi, Senior Project Manager, Film and Broadcast Media of Japan Foundation, other members of the Diplomatic Missions in Brunei, media influencers, clubs and associations related to Japan.

The Japanese Film Festival is organised by the Japan Foundation and Embassy of Japan to Brunei Darussalam. This is a platform used to raise interest in Japanese films among audiences in the ASEAN region. It aims to provide opportunities for people to gather offline and online, under the vision of building a system for an extensive bridge between the Asia-Pacific film market and the Japanese film industry as mentioned by Mr. Masafumi.

There will be seven films being screened daily until the 28th of February 2018. The genres include drama, animation, manga adaptation and mystery. Do refer to the posters for details and you can google them for more in-depth review.

The cool thing about Japanese Film Festival 2018 is that the ticket admission is FREE and the way to claim your ticket is to collect your tickets from 5pm onwards at Arena Cineplex at Seri Q-Lap Mall. Each of the screening begins at 7:30pm.

For more information, you can contact them at 863 6488 or visit their Facebook Page or instagram @jffbrunei

What Rano thinks: I’m so pleased that there’s finally a Japanese Film Festival, showcasing more than 5 Japanese films. I’m a movie junkie and furthermore, I love Japanese movie for some reason. There are a few titles that I love rematching such as Zatoichi, Your Name (animation) and Battle Royale to name a few.

Good job to the Japan Foundation and the Embassy of Japan to Brunei Darussalam of making this possible because I normally see this kind of events in Singapore when I traveled. So this is a good start in creating more interest in Japanese films. I’m hoping to catch another one tonight if I can get hold of the tickets 🙂

His Excellency speaking to the management of Times Square Shopping Centre

The Embassy of Japan in Brunei, together with the Japan Foundation and Times Square, will be co-organising “Japanese Language and Culture Week” from Friday 2 to Sunday 4 February 2018 at Times Square.

The event aims to introduce traditional Japanese culture and promote the Japanese language, whilst also highlighting opportunities for studying in Japan. There will be exhibition booths and on-stage demonstrations including a live showcase of new Japanese music, graffiti-art workshops, Japanese Martial Arts demonstrations, exhibitions of traditional Japanese toys, Japanese cooking, a Yoyo and Kendama showcase and Yukata (Japanese casual summer kimonos) dressing up with a commemorative photo service.

The new Japanese music showcases will be led by the musician group, named the” Ryoma Quartet “ from Japan.The band is a fusion of west meets east and old meets new. They will conduct a live performance with a violin and three traditional Japanese musical instruments; three-stringed shamisen, shinobue flute and tsuzumi hand drum. The musicians have been performing together as well as undertaken solo projects, developing music as a band and as individuals. The band is known for the members’ professional performance skills and stage presence, as well as their uniform, Montsuki Hakama (a traditional Japanese costume for men) which represents their determination to perform professionally.

Yang Berhormat Dato Paduka Ali Apong as the guest of honour with Pehin Goh King Chin, Managing Director of GHK Sdn Bhd and Wu Chun, founder of Roti Culture and his two children officially launching Roti Culture last Friday. Image courtesy of Roti Culture Facebook Page.

The invited guests enjoying the culture performances during the grand opening

Roti Culture, the recently opened family oriented and kids friendly restaurant is based in Batu Bersurat serving scrumptious and most loved roti and an array of savoury dishes, tantalizing local taste buds with an international touch. During the grand opening, Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism, Yang Berhormat Dato Paduka Ali Apong was invited as the guest of honour to officiate the opening. Along the VIP guest lists were Managing Director of GHK Sdn Bhd, Pehin Goh King Chin, the Russian Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam, Vladlen Semivolos, former CEO of the Brunei Tourism Board, Sheikh Jamaluddin and Marketing Manager of Royal Brunei Airlines, Alirahim Hj Abdul Rani.

The owner is our Brunei’s very own international artiste and philanthropist, Wu Chun who recently just finished the shooting of the very popular TV show “ Daddy, where are you going?” with an online viewers of more than 5 billion in China alone. Looking at his weibo account, we know he is just back from his 11 days trip, which he traveled to 11 cities for his commercial events and international endorsements. Including a recent award in Beijing where he was awarded the 2017 NetEase Most Influential Artiste Award. Wu Chun was known for his endeavours making Brunei known to the world and vice versa, him bringing the outside world experience to the country.

This is why, in Roti Culture, one can find what they are looking for, on the menu to satisfy one’s hunger ranging from the Indian-inspired signature roti kosong, roti bomb, dosai, nasi briyani to Malay cuisines such as our pandan nasi lemak, laksa, and otak-otak, as the founder would describe it as a one-stop place to eat and kid friendly atmosphere equipping a kid’s corner.

“My whole family loves roti, my overseas friends love roti to the max. Our menu comprises mainly of famous roti made by our very own chef and each dish is carefully infused with culture and are Bruneians’ favourite like the nasi ayam penyet and Temburong Cendol which you can get every day and we hope Roti Culture can be a ‘must-stop restaurant for the tourists in Brunei” said the owner and founder of Roti Culture, Wu Chun.

“We have tourists from Singapore, Taiwan and China who are crazy for Brunei’s roti and martabak as they claimed that ours (Brunei’s) has a different richer taste. Tourists craziness for roti is one of the things that inspired me to open Roti Culture,” he said. “I want to bring the Asian and Outside Culture together through what people commonly love, food.”

Moreover, what makes our menu special is that some of the dishes are signature recipes contributed by Wu Chun’s family members, which recipes go back to the 1980’s.

“I come from a big family and all of my aunties love to cook. So, we picked some of the best recipes to be included in our menu like the Kolo Mee, Nasi lemak, sup tulang, otak-otak and curry. It’s a fusion of culture here.” added Wu Chun.

Meanwhile, Wu Chun is keen to incorporate bits and pieces of Brunei’s own landmark Kampong Ayer in the restaurant by putting a large wall sticker showing the water village’s view and recycling colourful wooden planks from remnants of demolished water village houses. “They represent Brunei as Kampong Ayer is known as the Venice of Asia so when tourists come and dine in here, they have the feel and take pictures as memories,” said Wu Chun.

If you have not visited Roti Culture just yet, we are located at Block H, Unit 8 & 9, Ground Floor, Kg Pengkalan Gadong. So, come by, have a bite and feel the welcoming ambiance by the aromatic smell of the roti. For more information or booking, please call 242 1000 or follow their Facebook page or instagram @ROTICULTUREBRUNEI.

The guest of honour with other stakeholders under Brunei Festival 2017

Who says that Brunei has nothing to offer especially during the holiday period? According to Yang Mulia Awang Wardi bin Hj Mohammad Ali, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Tourism), Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism, there are plenty of events to look forward to and not necessarily those who are traveling during the holidays will be away for the whole of December. Hence there are enough activities for the residents of Brunei Darussalam to enjoy from late November to December 2017.

Yesterday marked the launch of the www.brunei.events, a portal and application for tourism services for the general public as well as incoming tourists to be aware of any events in Brunei Darussalam. So what kind of events will be posted? There will be events such as roadshows, exhibitions, conferences, cultural activities, festivals and workshops. Just imagine it as the Time Out version of Brunei Darussalam.

The portal which will be available soon for mobile apps is a collaboration with Brunei Tourism Board, Progresif Cellular and Mixmediaworx.

The official launch took place at the Tourism Information Centre, Galeri Sini at the Royal Wharf and it was graced by Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali bin Haji Apong, the Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism.

Wardi highlighted that this will be a yearly calendar for the upcoming Brunei December Festival. He hopes the objective of this event is to spur the growth of international tourist arrivals to Brunei Darussalam and also by having a yearly event, this will hope for a repeat participation from current vendors. Having these events in Brunei will also help to stimulate the domestic growth within the economy.

Also in attendance were Foreign Dignitaries

YB Dato Seri Setia Hj Ali bin Apong visited the organiser of the Superwoman Run slated for December

His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office in his capacity as Patron of the Golden Jubilee Celebration Advisory Committee; and His Royal Highness Prince Haji Sufri Bolkiah, member of the Golden Jubilee Celebration Advisory Committee during the full dress rehearsal last Sunday. Image courtesy of Infofoto.

Congratulations to Aziz Haru on his latest single and music video, “Jangan” and it’s currently No.1 in Brunei’s iTunes chart. More on Aziz soon.

Applications for the 2018 Australia-ASEAN Emerging Leaders Program are now open! A2ELP is a three month leadership program for social entrepreneurs from ASEAN and Australia. The program includes a ten-day intensive program in Melbourne and Sydney with workshops, networking events, field visits and cultural activities. Applications close 13 October 2017. Click image to read more.

Awesome deals from SugarBun. I managed to get a free meal by using my Baiduri Platinum Debit Card on Paywave. Terms and conditions apply.

The children were the VIPs during the medal award ceremony held by @kumondilligent

Congratulations Rhyanna on receiving a medal from Kumon and hope you enjoyed your birthday celebration 😀

The newly open T•K Restaurant and I love the food too. Serving seafood as well. Located at the same building as Thien-Thien Gadong.

The app for The Mall Cineplex is quite convenient now. I believe this is the first of its kind for Brunei to use barcode to enter the cinema. Kudos, Mall Cineplex on this feature.

Rafhanah Salleh’s thought of Kingsman: The Golden Circle. I believe even my peers felt the same way and so did I. Apparently one person loved it so much he watched it three times. My final verdict: 6.5/10

So the censorship board has enforced this ruling and cinema operators have been playing their best to not allow kids or children below 17 years to watch movies for matured audiences. This can be a bit tricky but it will be a culture that families will be accustomed to. I do agree with the ruling and it’s just a bit more of awareness and publicity for parents to be aware of the ruling of catching movies with children in the cinemas.

Epipeople Consultants had their first sneak at It’s A Grind at Citis Square. The responses have been great so far and more workshops to come in the near future.

Game On’s PS4 FIFA 17 Tournament will take place at The Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium from the 29th September to 1st October 2017. This tournament alone will be the BIGGEST prize pool in our eSports history, at over BND1,000 – all thanks to @battlepromms Will the current champion (Hanif Hamzah) successfully defend his title or will we be seeing a new champion for FIFA 17? We’ll find out together on 1st October 2017 during The Festival Hari Belia 2017. Image taken from ETA Games @ Cineplex.

Something I can’t wait – FIFA18 will be out this weekend while W2K18 will be sometime in October. Check out ETA Games for updates.

Nuriskandar was a bit sakai when he saw the new facelift of KFC at Giant, Rimba.

I saw this yesterday in the papers and I thought it was quite unnecessary since he was not involved in any business transaction as his role was purely a photographer. I know of some people who even have higher positions or even dealing with clients from that company and had left but never been published in this manner. What gives? I do support the paper but this one thing that I don’t support.

A customized and personalized cake for Wu Chun from the pastry chef during the launch of the Bake Culture at Serusop branch

During the launch of the third outlet of Bake Culture at Serusop, Wu Chun announced expansion in China and USA by 2017 for Bake Culture. Interesting to know that Wu Chun has bigger plans for the successful bakery that is popular in Brunei and Taiwan.

He hinted that by November, Bake Culture will be opened at Chongqing, China and followed by another outlet in New York, USA. Both outlets are in the process of renovation.

One of the local signature item, Roti Satay, will be introduced in the said outlets and the idea is to spread and share the culture of different countries.

He also highlighted that the pastry chefs have been trained for the past twelve months inclusive of food tasting for the customers’ needs.

It was also good to see Wu Chun fans flying in from China to support the launch and Wu Chun humbly enough spent time with them and took photos.

The other question that was put forward to Wu Chun was on the upcoming movie where he is being featured, “My Other Home”, an upcoming Chinese-American sports biographical film directed by Yang Zi and produced by Huang Jianxin, starring American basketball player Stephon Marbury as himself. Awesome. It’s not sure when the movie will be out in Brunei but it is slated for a China release on 4th August and yes, China is a huge market for sure.

Congratulations Wu Chun on the expansion of Bake Culture (oh ya, he loves banana muffin from Bake Culture) and I hope to see your movie in Brunei hopefully 🙂

The design of the new outlet in Serusop

Photo opportunity with Baiduri Bank associates

Wu Chun with invited guests

Wu Chun with his Bake Culture team

Wu Chun speaking to Progresif team

The cakes section

These look delicious

Fans waiting to enter the bakery

They flew in just for Wu Chun 😀

Check out his new movie – “The Other Home” to released in China this August

I’m still reminiscing my day in Seoul, Korea during my short visit for the Asian Cultural Young Leaders’ Camp 2017 (25th June to 30th June). It seemed like yesterday but it has been almost a month since that experience. I made the conscious choice to accept the offer even though it was during the first few days of Eid Mubarak celebration. My deepest gratitude to the Korean Embassy to Brunei and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Korea for giving me this opportunity in the first place.

The hospitality was top notch and MOFA (Korea) knew how to take care of all the representatives from Asia Pacific during their stay in Seoul, Korea. We bonded on the first night with the youth from different walks of life. From Japan to Australia to Mongolia to Afghanistan, you name it. It was an emotional farewell on the final dinner before we departed back to our own countries. This is my biggest highlight of the Asian Cultural Young Leaders’ Camp 2017 #ACYLC2017 #2017ACYLC – the diplomacy and friendship among different nationalities and cultures. This is a sign of world peace where all of us can get along and make a difference in the world. I just wish for longer days and freer time to further strengthen the bonds and friendship among my newly acquainted friends.

I previously shared my story on PyeongChang, the upcoming Winter Games in February 2018. Now let allow me to share my other interesting trips at Korea. First up was the visit to the Ojukheon House at Gangneung near PyeonChang, a few hours ride from Seoul. If you really keen to understand the culture of Korea, this is a must visit territory.

Ojukheon House. According to history, Ojukheon House was where Shin Saimdang (1504-1551) lived and where her son Yi I (penname Yulgok; scholar and politician of the Joseon Period) was born. It was built during the early Joseon Dynasty and remains one of the oldest wooden residential buildings in Korea. It was designated as Treasure No. 165 in 1963 and has been maintained by the descendants throughout the generations.The house is made of black bamboo trees and still holding up. The interesting fact is that Shin Saimdang is featured on the Korean Won 50,000 note and still is. Her contribution as a artist and poet back in the 16th century and she’s the only lady being featured on Korean currency. If you are heading for the Winter Olympics at PyeongChang, then do visit Ojukheon House.

Seongyojang House. Another place I found interesting was Seongyojang House which was built back in the 1750s. Now why this is a unique place is because it reminds me of Air BnB. Let me share you a bit of history. It was created in 1703 by Yi Naebeon, an 11th generation descendant of Prince Hyoryeondaegun, part of the Hyoryeong royal family during the Joseon Dynasty. The idea behind Seongyojang House was to promote happiness and joy among relatives living there. Now I was told that back then, the owner of the residence would welcome guests and visitors to stay and they won’t accept any form of monetary in exchange. The guests were also well fed by the host and in return, they would shower the host with gifts instead as a sign of gratitude.

I’m still surprised that the Seongyojang House is very well maintained after 300 years and has past 10 generations. The structures are still intact and well preserved and it was even selected by Korean Broadcasting System as the top 10 well preserved original dwellings in Korea. A must visit destination if you are around PyeongChang area. I’m glad that such historical places do still exist and well maintained.

Lunch around PyeongChang while being briefed on the Winter Olympics

The view outside Seongyojang House. An interesting and historical place to visit.

Samsung Innovation Museum. According to Visit Korea, Samsung Innovation Museum (SIM) is a business hall as well as the largest sized industrial electronics museum in Korea, displaying the growing steps of Samsung Electronics Corporation at a glance. It is located inside of Suwon Digital City where Samsung Electronics Corporation was initially established 47 year ago. Starting from the time when electronics were first produced to the current trend of cutting-edge smart devices, the electronic industry has become more and more innovative. This history of innovation and the future of electronics are reflected in the museum while looking at the various exhibition halls, comprised of History of Samsung, Seeds of Innovation, Core of Innovation and Inspiring Innovation. The halls of Samsung Innovation Museum give a meaningful experience to figure out what innovation really means.

Ok, here goes my version – WWWOWWWW!!!! It’s like a city of its own and I could see associates of Samsung just cycling around to get to the other building. It’s also very heavily guarded so no one can simply just enter the Suwon Digital City. I seriously don’t mind working in this environment and it does feel quite futuristic (like in the movies). Too bad our group only tasted 5% of the Suwon Digital City. I wanted more but I guess there are restricted area.

In the museum, you will get to learn of the history of Samsung and also other inventions by inventors and also recognizing other brands that made an impact on our daily lives through time. For instance, the birth of washing machine or vacuum cleaner which helped to cut down longer hours of house chores. We were being educated on the existence of not just phones and TVs but also on other electrical appliances that play a part in our lives.

The admission is free and you will be guided by a museum presenter. It’s open from Monday to Friday but there won’t be any guided tour on a Saturday. You can take pictures but no filming recording is allowed. If you are not even a Samsung fan, this place is still worth a visit. I began to appreciate all these innovations after the tour. Thank you to all the inventors for making all these technological advances possible.

At the Suwon Digital City where Samsung Innovation Museum is located. This is one of the signs on the street. So be mindful when you walk 😉

You’re not allowed to take close up shots in the SIM or even video recording. But this kind of shots or selfies are welcomed 😀

Viewing the gallery while learning the important inventions which lead to our current technology

The 105” inch Samsung Curve UHD TV. The price for this is valued at USD 110,000 *Gullllpp*

Arirang’s Heart to Heart show. It’s not as easy as 1-2-3 to be selected to be featured on Arirang News, one of Korea’s leading broadcasting news that has global reach of 138 million households. A big thank you to MOFA Korea for making this possible as I was one of the special guests for Heart to Heart show in Arirang TV. The other special guest was Ashani Yusron, a big Hallyu fan from Indonesia. The recorded show for our session will up in one or two weeks’ time. Thank you to Manu (the producer) and Jennifer, the host for Heart to Heart and not forgetting our special friend, Mary.

This particular episode talks about our take of Korean culture and how it has been well received in our respective countries and also a bit of background of what we do professionally in the line of being social influencers. I shall keep you posted when the show will be set for release. Thank you once again to Arirang TV for having us on your show. This is definitely a milestone for 2017.

Thank you, Jennifer (right) for being such a sporting host

With the producer of Heart to Heart, Manu 😀

An awesome session with Jennifer. Can’t wait to see the actual show

Making bimbibap. Yes, this is the real deal. I normally being served at Korean Restaurants in Brunei but this one .. this one is the real deal. You get to see the traditional way of making bimbibap. For your info, bibimbap means mixed rice and in Korea, bimbibap is served as a bowl of warm white rice and topped with namul (sauteed and seasoned veggies, gochujang (chilli paste), soy sauce or doenjang (fermented soybean paste). Other additions are such as fried egg and slice beef. Then you stir the contents inside the bowl before you eat.

That day we visited a Korean restaurant (can’t remember the name) and we were given the experience to mix the bimbibap in a humungous bowl that is enough to feed at least a hundred people. I love the authentic taste of it too and the hospitality from the restaurant owners. Now being back in Brunei, I have more appreciation of how bimbibap is being served and maybe, just maybe, my expectations in terms of presentation and taste have slightly increased.

I had the privilege to stir this around. One massive bowl for bimbibap. This is how authentic it gets 😀

The customary selfie pose, of course, with bimbibap

One of the best lunches during our trip

Having fun after an awesome bimbibap lunch

Farewell dinner. The awesome about this program was that we were fed very well and also on time. The program was so structured that they made meal times a priority and also on time. I don’t know how they did it but they pulled it off consistently for 5 straight days. Amazing!! Our final dinner was Seoul Marina which was like an hour away from our hotel, Koreana and we hoped for a variety of choices as we had too much of kimchi during our previous meals. And yes we did!! The food was great and it was also an emotional farewell session as a few representatives from each group shared their learning and experiences from the #ACYLC2017.

We have our own Facebook group page and it’s flooded with pictures and memories. You were right, this is not a good bye but merely a transitional period where we will have newer opportunities to meet once again. It has been three weeks and it’s still fresh in my memory. Thank you once again, MOFA Korea and The Korea Foundation for hosting us and this has been one of the best experiences in a long time. I hope to see more of this in the near future.

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About RA

A blogger since 2002, using platforms from blogspot, joomla and now currently wordpress. A readership that stands on average of 20,000 visits per month. Also on active on social media platform on IG, Facebook and Snapchat (@ranoadidas)

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